VJ Edgecombe has one for the history books and the Sixers somehow stymie Boston in Game 2

BOSTON — It was over. Ten minutes into Game 2, and we’d seen all we needed to see.

The game, the series, the season... done, done and done.

What the heck happened? How does a team go from getting steamrolled for five straight quarters to winning three straight in convincing fashion? That’s what the Sixers did on Tuesday night at TD Garden in a 111-97 victory over the Celtics that evened this best-of-seven first round series at one game apiece.

The big question is, well, how?

Two big answers:

1) They finally found an answer on the defensive end of the court, mixing up their matchups and forcing the Celtics out of their comfort zone.

2) They got a scintillating performance from their young backcourt duo, one that bodes incredibly well for the long-term future, if not for the short-term.

» READ MORE: VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey combine for 59 points as Philly evens series

It turned out to be the exact combination the Sixers needed to bounce back from a 123-91 loss in Game 1 and a 26-13 deficit late in the first quarter of Game 2.

The headliners were VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey, who looked like everything they weren’t in Game 1. Decisive, aggressive, free and easy. The rookie and the All-Star combined to score 59 points on 23-of-48 shooting while hitting 11-of-22 from three-point range. Edgecombe in particular was a difference maker. In Sunday’s blowout loss, he missed all five of his three-point attempts and was more or less invisible while scoring 13 points. That changed in a big way in Game 2. The 20-year-old blue-chipper broke out shortly after returning from a brief stint on the bench for an undisclosed injury.

It was fitting, even poetic. Early in the first quarter, Edgecombe missed an open look at a corner three and then watched Celtics guard Derrick White drain a three at the other end of the court to tie the game at 13-13. That sequence ignited a 16-0 Celtics run that saw them seize a 26-13 lead on a Nikola Vučević three-pointer with 3:20 left in the opening period.

All she wrote. Or, so it seemed.

But Edgecombe and Maxey responded. The latter drilled a three-pointer to stop the Celtics run. Nine minutes later, the Sixers had their first lead since the early minutes of Game 1, going up 41-39 on an Andre Drummond layup with 7:13 left in the second quarter. From there, it was all Maxey and Edgecombe:

After two more three-pointers from Edgecombe, the Sixers entered halftime with a 62-54 lead.

Edgecombe was a revelation. He looked like the kind of scorer who can lead a team at some point in the future. A little more muscle, a little more experience... who knows. He became the youngest player to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. He also became the first rookie to score more than 30 points in one of his first two career postseason games since Brandon Jennings in 2010.

The final line: 30 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, 12-of-20 from the field, 6-of-10 from three-point range.

Maxey chipped in 29 points on 11-of-28 shooting, including 5-of-12 from three-point range.

The Celtics missed some shots. More than some. A ton. They went 13-for-50 from three-point range. But that was partially a function of the Sixers defense, which at least forced them out of their drive and kick game that torched them in Game 1.

Whether it changes anything in the series remains to be seen. But it was a heck of a role reversal from Game 1.